


Growing Old Together

by PlayfulMay



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Humor, Humorous Ending, Sexual Roleplay, oh and regina is a total badge bunny, they're grandmothers and getting their grooves back
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-30
Updated: 2018-06-06
Packaged: 2019-05-16 04:26:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14804345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PlayfulMay/pseuds/PlayfulMay
Summary: Emma and Regina are growing old together, and keeping it interesting after a lull.





	1. Happy Anniversary

**Author's Note:**

> This is a finished story. I'll be posting every few days until the five chapters are up :)

"You forgot your anniversary, didn't you?"

It was Henry's voice over the phone, aged with the years of experience he'd had since moving out, marrying, and having children of his own. It was the voice of an experienced husband, too.

"Ma, you can't keep doing this. She's gonna kill you."

Emma rolled her eyes from her end of the phone, combing her still-blonde hair over her right shoulder, feeling tendrils fall back to their natural place as she sighed. Being fifty certainly wasn't her strong suit.

"Henry, I'm old," she teased, knowing he didn't see her as old in the least. In his defense, his mother still packed a tight punch and most certainly turned heads everywhere she went, but Henry would never confess he knew that. "I'm old, but I didn't forget."

"Ma! Enough with that-" Henry started, laughing just as Emma heard a little gurgling sound on the other end.

Emma smiled at the sound: "Is that Ollie?"

Henry laughed: "No, it's Chloe, Ma."

Emma chuckled on her end at the very thought of such a graceful woman as Henry's wife making babbling baby noises like their ten-month-old son. "Uh huh ... hey, is Annie around?"

Henry did his best to cover the phone as he called to Chloe from the living room, finally returning the phone to his ear. "Sorry, she's busy baking. They're making something for Annie's preschool party."

Emma smiled at the very thought of her grandchildren. Annabelle and Oliver - the world's sweetest little siblings, both with Henry's curious eyes and Chloe's dimples and fair, ash-blonde hair. Just thinking about her grandbabies, Emma touched the big family picture on her desk. It sat right next to the wedding picture of her and Regina - the beautiful brunette laying a tender, playful kiss on her cheek while Emma had her eyes closed in grateful bliss, her bouquet of flowers hanging loosely in both hands. The sun that afternoon captured beautiful shades of color in both their exquisite dresses.

Touching the wedding picture, Emma sighed. "I didn't forget, you know."

Henry was smiling as he answered - likely distracted by his hilariously excitable baby boy. "Yeah, uh huh."

"I didn't," Emma whined, sounding more like a child then Henry's own, stubborn little girl. "Honestly, I had reservations at your mother's favorite restaurant, but then she told me yesterday that she just wants a quiet weekend at home."

"Well, you forgot last year, and Mom was so upset she locked you out of the house!"

Emma chuckled a little into the receiver, trying not to insinuate how she had won her way back inside. "Yeah, well ... I managed just fine. And I remembered this time TWO WEEKS in advance. So there."

"You're not overly forgetful, Ma," Henry said seriously. "I'm not worried about you, but you need to make a point of remembering these special dates for Mom, alright? I'm serious. I don't want to have to be referee between you two. Just go get her a big gift even if she says she doesn't want it, make her a nice surprise dinner, and thank me tomorrow."

Emma sighed again, leaning back in her supportive chair - the one Regina had bought her years ago with concern for her slouching. "Alright, alright. I get it. I'm an idiot."

"Your words, not mine."

"Hey, tell Annie her Grammie says we can bake those peanut butter cookies again next time she visits," Emma grinned, chuckling when Henry laughed over the phone.

"Greeeat. So she can run circles around us all evening again? Just what I always wanted ..."

"Or she could cook that healthy, awful oatmeal stuff with GG?"

Henry laughed again at his little girl's nickname for Regina. They had been trying to get her to pronounce Grandma when she'd babbled out GG and it had stuck ever since. Emma's "Grammie" seemed to be the next best thing, and Emma absolutely loved the ring it had coming from her little Annie.

"Fine," Henry said, kissing his son's head safely tucked against him and struggling a bit with his phone. "But promise me you won't mess this up, Ma. She's really counting on you this year. You two have some catching up to do after that insane infestation the town had just last month."

An infestation of ghostly fairies. He never spoke about Storybrooke over the phone for fear that little Annie would hear about it. Chloe knew about the magical town where Henry's mothers lived - she had even seen magic first-hand - but they had chosen to live outside of the city limits for their childrens' safety. Better not to be infested with ghost-fairies and the like, they had both agreed. All the same, Henry knew his mothers had been busy as of late, and that it was important for them to re-connect. The last thing he ever wanted was for either of them to be unhappy.

"Yeah, yeah - hey, give Annie a big kiss for me, would you? And just give Chloe a hug for me - nothing weird."

Henry chuckled and agreed - only under the terms that Emma immediately leave the station and start sorting out her anniversary evening.

"That deserves a hug, too," Emma smiled, hearing Ollie coo and make unintelligible noises into his daddy's phone. "And a big squeeze for Ollie!"

"Will do, Ma. Bye."

After Henry hung up, Emma took another look at the larger family portrait framed with Annie's mis-matched macaroni-and-cardboard picture frame creation. Emma's heart warmed at the image: her holding Regina close with her other arm around Henry who had HIS arm around his wife's waist. Charming and Snow were standing by Regina, and little Annie had her hands out at her sides like the picture was all about her. Baby Ollie, of course, was oblivious as ever with wide eyes and limp, chubby little legs.

Emma touched the frame and the glass encapsulating the family picture that had been taken two months back at Regina's birthday party. In the background of the picture, Emma could just make out others around them and she let out a contented sigh. They loved Storybrooke. No matter how complicated or tiring it could be, she and Regina couldn't seem to tear themselves away. Hell, if Charming and Snow could do it, so could they.

Sticking to her word, Emma got up from her chair, checked for her phone, keys, and wallet, and made her way out of the station. On her way out, she nodded to the newest officer who was in charge of the day-to-day supervisory duties of the station.

"Evening, Todd."

"Night Ma'am," he smiled back at her, kindness in his eyes and inexperience written all over his face. Emma smiled her way down the hall, wondering if she had ever been that fresh-faced.

On her way home, Emma picked up flowers for show, Regina's favorite chocolates, and a necklace that reminded her of Regina's simple but elegant taste in jewelry.

Sitting in her car with exhaustion from the long day she'd already worked, Emma dialled Regina's number as she did every day after work and held the phone to her ear. When Regina answered, Emma's face lit up at the comforting tone of her wife's voice.

"Hey, Hun," Emma said lovingly: "I was just wondering ... did you need me to pick anything up on the way home?"

She could hear Regina rifling through papers - the day supposed to have been the woman's day off, but of course Regina found herself swamped anyway.

Finally, the exasperated and rich voice came through the other end: "Wine. Bring home the strongest red you can find."

Emma couldn't help but chuckle. _Regina _had forgotten about their anniversary.__

__Regina always found it in poor taste to drink alcohol on one's anniversary - most specifically in large quantities. But Emma kept that little piece of knowledge in her back pocket, licking her lips with humor. "Mmm hmm. Anything else perhaps ...?"_ _

__"And a bottle of white?"_ _

__Emma laughed, loving her wife for the mess she could sometimes be. "Anything you say."_ _

__"Good wife," Regina teased back, obviously pleased with the interruption of her work._ _

__"I'll be home in about ten minutes."_ _

__"Thank you, Dear."_ _

__Twelve minutes later, Emma was letting herself into the bungalow she'd bought with Regina after her wife had resigned from the position of mayor so many years ago. Regina had found it too large a strain to hold office for such a long while running. Admittedly, others in the town had hoped for Regina to be re-elected, but health and family came first._ _

__The house was large but still warm and inviting - enough so that Regina often met with clients in her home office. As a financial advisor hired by the city, she helped advise others in political and other such public positions._ _

__Sitting in her office that evening, Regina was rifling through a grant for more library funding. She looked up when Emma made herself known leaning in the doorway with two bottles of wine in her hand and a dark red rose between her teeth._ _

__"Ooh, flowers," Regina teased absent-mindedly, finishing her task of scanning one of the forms to pull off her thick black reading glasses. "What's the big occasion?"_ _

__She protested somewhat when Emma came around her desk and pulled her up from it - guiding her to the front door to halt as Emma stopped at the end table._ _

__"Oh no you don't," Emma was saying, having set down the bottles of wine and the rose. "You do not get away with this if I don't."_ _

__And then Regina was led out onto the porch of their quaint little home with the door promptly shut behind her. And locked? Regina laughed for a brief moment, studying the door. Emma had locked her out on the porch? That was almost like ... THEN she realized what day it was._ _

__Grumbling her annoyances with herself, Regina simply put her hands on the door and sighed: "Emma, Dear, I'm so sorry," She couldn't help but let out a breath of laughter, certain that laughing outright wouldn't make things any better._ _

__And then the door was swinging open only for Emma to hand over her wife's reading glasses. When the door was shut in her face again, Regina DID laugh._ _

__"Alright, I deserve this!" Regina continued, looking at her glasses in confusion._ _

__"Put them on," Emma pouted through the door, and Regina thought she understood. Emma had always found her quite appealing in her glasses. "And we'll see."_ _

__"Hunny, I'm sorry," Regina said tenderly, leaning in against the door. She had been leaning so heavily that when the door opened again, she fell into Emma's arms. Regina draped her arms around Emma's neck. "I'm so sorry, Sweetheart. I'll make it up to you."_ _

__"You will?" Emma asked hopefully only to have Regina give her a chaste kiss on the lips._ _

__"How does a nice, romantic dinner sound?"_ _

__It sounded like Emma was remembering just how long it had been since they'd had sex. Too long. It wasn't that they were purposefully abstinent, but even with little touches and hints from Emma, things hadn't seemed to become overly physical in the past few months._ _

__"Umm ... that sounds perfect," Emma smiled, pulling Regina's glasses playfully down on that perfect nose._ _

__"Stop that," Regina giggled in her arms, squirming a little. "That doesn't help me to see anything."_ _

__"Mmm, but you look like a sexy little librarian," Emma purred, helping them both into the kitchen where Regina was sure to cook up a wonderful storm. "And the look ... suits you."_ _

__"We wouldn't get along if I were a librarian, Dear," Regina teased: "You never bring your books back by their due date."_ _

__Emma laughed as they pulled apart for the practicality of cooking. She laughed and watched her beautiful wife prepare for a home-cooked meal, trying to forget the feelings that swelled inside of her._ _

__Regina had been overwhelmed lately - it was only natural to have sex less frequently as they grew older. She was tired, too. Emma played through those and many more excuses as she tried to help Regina with the meal. The dinner would be lovely, but romantic? Emma was beginning to feel as if romance was beginning to seem like a far-fetched ideal. They had become so comfortable with one another that a sexless night was the norm, even as they laid happily in each other's arms. Emma thought back as the food cooked, wondering. When they had lost that spark? And how would they get it back?_ _


	2. Hopeless Romantic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma and Regina have a very important talk.

"Is everything alright with you and Ma?"

Regina yawned and slipped out of bed to the sound of her son's voice over the phone. He always _had _sounded a little too chipper in the morning. Or perhaps alert was a better descriptive.__

__"Henry, what are you doing worrying about us? You have two adorable children to concern yourself with."_ _

__Henry rolled his eyes: "Mom. I'm sorry, alright? I was just talking to Ma yesterday, and she didn't have much to say about your anniversary last weekend. She was all grumbly. Did something happen?"_ _

__Regina sighed and stretched before padding her way into their spacious bathroom - smoothing her free hand over her face as she looked to the sticky note Emma had left for her on the mirror before she'd left for work._ _

__OUT OF EGGS. WOOPSIES._ _

__Regina exhaled with entertainment, but then pursed her lips at the reminder of having forgotten her anniversary. "I umm ... I might have ..."_ _

__"Oh no - not you too!" Henry groaned, laughing with the bustling noise of his colleagues all around him. "Mom, come on - you guys are killing me! You forgot?!"_ _

__Regina sighed: "I didn't mean to. I was ... I've been busy, Dear."_ _

__"And I have all the time in the world?" Henry accused, pinching the bridge of his nose as his wife had instructed him to do when he was feeling overwhelmed. He relaxed just at the thought of his calming wife. "Mom, what happened? You guys used to be all over each other with affection."_ _

__"I don't see what that has to do with-"_ _

__"Mom, you BOTH forgot your ANNIVERSARY for the past two years!" he chuckled, despite his annoyance. "I'm just saying that lately, you two seem a little ... I don't know. Like you've forgotten why you're together. Are you too stressed or something? Are you bored?"_ _

__Regina frowned, not liking where her son was going with his line of questioning._ _

__"Are you ..." he cleared his throat: "Still intimate?"_ _

__"HENRY DANIEL MILLS!"_ _

__But instead of laughing, Henry pressed his point: "I'm sorry, Mom. I don't want to ask any more than you want to answer, but I'm seriously worried. Being close with your partner is really important in marriage. I know I'm still pretty new to marriage myself, but that's typically how ROMANTIC relationships work. They rely pretty heavily on romance."_ _

__"That's not ALL there is to it!" Regina scoffed._ _

__"Well it should have something to do with it," Henry continued, trying to keep from seeming accusatory. "I'm serious, Mom. I'm worried about you two. Do you remember the last time I brought Annie over?"_ _

__"I should hope you don't want me having sex with your mother while your little baby girl is visiting!"_ _

__Then Henry DID laugh. "Cool it, Mom. I'm just saying that I noticed Ma was giving you lots of small shows of affection and I didn't really notice you doing the same. Is ... everything alright? No troubles in paradise?"_ _

__"Henry, for the last time - you DON'T have to worry about your mother and me."_ _

__"Fine, fine," he sighed, running his hand through his hair. Wishing he could give her some sort of wise advice but coming up with nothing._ _

__Regina's voice sounded rather quiet when she finally continued. "Did I ... did it really seem as though I were distant, Henry? With your mother?"_ _

__"Yeah, I mean, I just assumed it was because Annie was around, but the way you and Ma have been talking about your relationship, too ... I don't know. I want you to be a happy couple. Not just really great friends."_ _

__Regina felt a great sadness wash over her - is that what she had been to Emma lately? When she really thought about it, she realized it HAD been a long time since she'd initiated anything with Emma. Was her wife disappointed? Feeling insecure possibly? Suddenly her mind was racing with worry._ _

__"Chloe said it's normal for things to die down a little in marriage at different times, but that having a healthy sex life is important unless your doctor says it's a problem."_ _

__"Henry!" Regina gasped openly. "Fantastic - now Chloe knows you think we're boring and sexless?! That poor woman!"_ _

__"Well, she knows a little about this stuff. Mom, really - if you won't talk to me, talk to Chloe. She's a really great listener."_ _

__"She's a psychologist, Henry."_ _

__He smiled at his mother's sass, hoping she would never change. "I know, Mom. But still, she wouldn't mind. And hey, please don't be mad at me? I'm only bugging you about all this because I care."_ _

__"I know, Henry ... and if Chloe's free this evening, you can have her call me. But you are not to question her about the things I tell her about my relationship with your mother."_ _

__"Ugh, like I would want to know."_ _

__Regina laughed: "Good. Now get back to work, Sweetie."_ _

__"Yes, Mother," he teased, finishing out the rest of his break texting his wife while Regina spent the rest of her afternoon working._ _

__When Emma came home later that evening, Regina saw what Henry meant. Emma came home with dinner - as was their routine on Friday evenings - and they ate together before snuggling, watching Regina's choice of rom com movie._ _

__The film was interrupted by a phone call, and while Regina would often ignore such things for the comfort of her wife's arms, she opted to get it in case it was Chloe calling her back._ _

__Emma pulled a face, but Regina simply sent her an apologetic smile upon hearing Chloe's voice on the other end, urging Emma to continue watching for a few minutes without her._ _

__Regina took the phone down the hall to the master bedroom._ _

__"I'm so sorry Henry's been bothering you two," Chloe smiled on her end, driving home with her mother-in-law on speaker in her car. "I told him that if you needed help, you would ask for it and that no one wants to talk to their children about these things."_ _

__Regina chuckled: "I wish he'd listened ..."_ _

__"Yeah, well," Chloe laughed momentarily, rolling up the sleeves of her blouse with a contented sigh as she sat in rush hour traffic. "I'm just calling because he said you wanted to talk. Was that just Henry's concern talking or did you really want to speak with me about something?"_ _

__"You're busy," Regina said nervously, glancing over at her bedroom door. She didn't want to speak with Chloe about her concerns, either, but she was so close with the young woman it seemed an almost comfortable situation. After all, Chloe was a put-together, intelligent, and confident woman who appreciated a twisted joke when the kids weren't around. Even if Chloe weren't her daughter-in-law, Regina could see them being good friends._ _

__"Regina," Chloe said pointedly: "I care about you and Emma. I'm never too busy for family."_ _

__"But this is your JOB. And you've worked all day, Sweetheart."_ _

__Chloe brightened with the adorable term of endearment, feeling more warmly accepted with Henry's mothers than her own parents at times. "Come on. I won't even charge you my typical rate," Chloe teased._ _

__"Well thank goodness, because I couldn't afford you," Regina chuckled, finally rushing her hand through her hair and exhaling long and deep. "Alright ... without making you undoubtedly uncomfortable, I'll just say that ... I suppose I'm worried Henry's right. That Emma and I haven't ... been very ... _intimate _lately."___ _

____Chloe was very professional in response, listing helpful ways of reuniting and communicating about a possible lack of physical contact. She made it sound so clinical that Regina didn't feel the conversation to be inappropriate after all. It relaxed her about the issue._ _ _ _

____"So I would speak with her if I were you," Chloe said at last, frustratedly stuck in traffic but eased with the sincere conversation she was sharing with Regina. "Speak with her and see if maybe you two can't find a common ground you'd like to explore."_ _ _ _

____"Common ground?" Regina asked nervously, afraid she already knew the answer._ _ _ _

____"Yes, as in a variety of activities you could explore together, sexually."_ _ _ _

____She was talking about spicing up their love life! Regina suddenly felt light-headed._ _ _ _

____"... Regina? Hello? ... Are you alright?"_ _ _ _

____"Yes, Dear," Regina lied, sighing again as she seated herself on the edge of the large bed she shared with her wife. "Thank you. I ... will think about that."_ _ _ _

____There was something so freeing about the unhesitant way Chloe approached such uncomfortable conversations. It was something Regina greatly admired about her daughter-in-law._ _ _ _

____"That will cost you your new apple crumble recipe," Chloe teased kindly, laughing when Regina openly offered all of her recipes._ _ _ _

____"Any time you want to come over, they're always here," Regina smiled. "And you should bring the kids, too."_ _ _ _

____"Oh God - Annie would be over the moon!" Chloe laughed, lighting up at the thought of her vibrant daughter. "She's been talking about her visit to see you guys so much lately. And it's coming up! Just another two weeks and she gets to sleep over."_ _ _ _

____"Mmm."_ _ _ _

____"Are you SURE you want to keep them for the whole weekend?"_ _ _ _

____"The only reason they're not staying with us all WEEK is because you refused," Regina said warmly, her heart swelling at the thought of the kids, as well. She so loved little Oliver and Annabelle._ _ _ _

____"I refused for YOUR sakes," Chloe laughed, pulling off the busy road in order to hurry her way home. "Trust me."_ _ _ _

____"Well, you're welcome here any time," Regina finished, lying back on her bed with eyes tracing over the small imperfections of her ceiling. "You and the kids. Even Henry."_ _ _ _

____Chloe laughed again, enjoying in Regina's sense of humor as she always did. "I'll keep that in mind, thanks. And let me know if you need to talk again, alright? I'll only charge you in recipes."_ _ _ _

____Regina smiled and nodded to herself, sighing again. "I will, thank you, Dear. Have a good night."_ _ _ _

____"Night."_ _ _ _

____It wasn't until Regina hung up that she heard Emma's voice from the doorway. "Don't tell me he's bugging you, too."_ _ _ _

____Regina was startled for a moment before relaxing her lips into a smile and gesturing for Emma to walk over and hold her._ _ _ _

____"No, it was Chloe."_ _ _ _

____"Oh no," Emma teased: "Has she turned over to the dark side?"_ _ _ _

____"Actually ..." Regina started: "It was me who was ... a bit worried."_ _ _ _

____Emma drew back, looking into Regina's eyes: "Worried? About what?"_ _ _ _

____"What Henry's worried about ... us not being particularly ... close at the moment."_ _ _ _

____"About us not being close?" Emma smiled, tackling Regina playfully over in their bed. "Well he has no idea what he's talking about! We're very close, Baby. We always have been."_ _ _ _

____"I know, but ..." Regina said, pulling away a little. "But not THAT way. I mean ..."_ _ _ _

____When Regina went quiet, Emma tucked a finger under her wife's chin and met her eyes. "What's wrong, Babe? Talk to me."_ _ _ _

____"I want to have more sex."_ _ _ _

____The blurted sentence brought out Emma's teasing nature: "With me, I hope?" She winced when Regina whacked her in the arm._ _ _ _

____"I'm serious," Regina smirked, trying to wipe her expression clear. "Really. I ... think it's time we focused on re-connecting."_ _ _ _

____Emma's eyes lit up suddenly, and the fire inside of them lit a fire inside of Regina, too._ _ _ _

____"So you're saying you want to spice up our sex lives?" Emma asked with just the trace of a smile. "Focus on sex?"_ _ _ _

____"Well, we'll need to eat and sleep," Regina blushed, trying to stand when Emma pulled her back to the bed and lovingly rolled on top of her. "Emma ..."_ _ _ _

____"You have no idea how long I've waited for you to suggest something like this. Fuck, this body ... I've missed you, Baby."_ _ _ _

____Suddenly Regina's eyes softened, taking in each of Emma's facial cues. "Yeah ...?"_ _ _ _

____"Yeah, you know ... trying new things. We've kind of settled into a comfortable routine since the last town emergency, and even before that, we enjoyed things pretty ... well, we have our 'practiced pleasures,' don't we?"_ _ _ _

____Regina rolled her eyes because Emma was teasing her. That was a turn of phrase Regina had coined._ _ _ _

____"Remember how we used to fuck?" Emma grinned._ _ _ _

____Regina slapped her shoulder and tried to roll away only to have Emma grab her and pin her to the bed, leaning over her. "Rougher, wasn't it ...? I remember how much you loved it, Baby. Do you miss it?"_ _ _ _

____Regina blinked up at her, her face purposefully unreadable and yet Emma was still able to discern her wife's feelings._ _ _ _

____"I know we've been overwhelmed lately, but I WANNA please you. Trust me," Emma whispered, leaning in to kiss Regina tenderly. Her beautiful wife. "Do you trust me?"_ _ _ _

____"You know I do," Regina answered lovingly, not even squirming against the hand pinning her wrists or the other hand controlling the direction of their kisses._ _ _ _

____"And now you're telling me you want to explore our sex lives?" Emma grinned. "God, where do I sign up for this? Am I taking some time off work? Oh, who am I kidding? Of COURSE I am."_ _ _ _

____"Emma, don't be silly."_ _ _ _

____"Hey, we are kid-and-disaster-free," Emma moaned taking Regina's wrists and planting them around her own waist. She smiled when Regina squeezed her backside. "Ooh - Madam Mayor!"_ _ _ _

____Regina laughed long and deep - a sound Emma had always found truly pleasurable. "I haven't been mayor for a long time now, you old fool."_ _ _ _

____"Old? ..." Emma laid her weight down on top of Regina at last, her eyes sparkling: "Tell that to my heart."_ _ _ _

____The smirk gave way to an open-mouthed kiss when they came together - Regina twisting away for one last comment while her wife went to work on her neck: "You ... are a hopeless-Uh! ... romantic, Emma Swan ..."_ _ _ _

____"Mmm ... Totally hopeless," Emma mumbled over her wife's perfect skin, licking and kissing her way back to Regina's mouth where she stayed, tangling herself in her wife's loving arms._ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any SQers still hanging around out there reading these?


	3. Madam Librarian

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They indulge in a fantasy of Emma's and have some much-needed fun together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, it looks like people are interested in this one atm! Decided to post another chapter today after I saw the surge of comments. Love the questions and comments - this story is mostly for fluff and a little smut and a little humor. I didn't want to cut into too many issues or anything, just keep it fun. I'm so glad you're all enjoying it :)

"Hey Mom, what's up?" Henry asked, yawning at his editing work desk. Since Storybrooke, he had found it freeing to edit instead of feeling the pressure to write, and he truly had a real knack for it. At the moment, however, he was undeniably exhausted.

"You sound tired, Dear."

"Ten-month-old baby, remember?" he teased dryly.

"Well, I just wanted to ask what kind of cereal Annabelle would like."

"Mom," Henry laughed: "She's not staying over for almost two weeks - why is cereal important right now?"

Regina shrunk a little on her couch at home, having come home from her shared office space to take a long lunch break. She had discussed just the previous night with Emma that they would try a little roleplay, and her nerves were getting the better of her. She liked for things to be planned perfectly, so she had been going around the house cleaning and preparing for the kids' visit. However, when Henry pointed it out, she realized how silly her call sounded.

"I'm sorry - I was just preparing their room and I was thinking about breakfast. I know she's very picky about her meals."

"Don't worry about a thing," Henry assured her, leaning back in his chair. "Chloe is going to email you all that stuff later this week and we're sending snacks with the kids."

"Okay, thank you, Dear," Regina smiled: "Have a good day at work."

"You too, Mom."

Click. And then it was just Regina alone with her thoughts. It wasn't long until she was so nervous that she called Emma at work, too.

"Miss Swan here," Emma teased over her cell phone as she always did when she picked up Regina's call. The display picture blinked at Emma from her cell phone of her wife glaring and smirking at the same time wearing a low-cut sweater and those sexy glasses. It never failed to bring a smile to her face before answering.

"How does your name sound sexier when YOU say it?" Regina teased back, surprising her wife no doubt. Emma hadn't been used to Regina's more excitable teases as of late.

Emma cleared her throat: "Uh ... w ... what's up, Babe?"

"I was just thinking about ... what we talked about last night ..."

Emma smiled at the memory, her eyes suddenly very heavy with lust at the reminder of the way they had reunited physically. She had held Regina underneath her, kissing and nipping gently at her wife. Licking down her body until ...

"... Emma? Emma, are you still there?"

Emma brought a hand up to her blonde hair that fell to just below her breasts. She smoothed her free hand down her hair, dropping it on her desk. "I ... Yeah, yeah I'm here."

Regina chuckled: "ANYway. I was thinking that I wanted you to pick what we could roleplay."

"Oh God, I have so many ideas," Emma muttered into the phone, not trusting herself to divulge anything solid for fear of anyone overhearing her.

"I know you like my glasses," Regina flirted shyly. "Do you ... want me to play librarian for you?"

Emma tried not to outwardly react to the suggestion. "Yes ... yes, that's ... let's do that one."

"I ... admittedly don't really know what you want me to do as librarian ... I don't quite understand it, but I'm willing to try ..."

Emma smiled brightly at her wife's confession, keeping her voice low to keep her comments confined to her office. "I want you to ... start with different limits than you end with."

Regina raised a brow - limits? Change the things she was willing to do? The very idea warmed her. "Hmm ... so you want me to act like a prude? Only at first? Is that it?"

Emma let out a very soft but strangled moan and Regina laughed fully at the reaction until she had her fill.

Emma moaned quietly: "God, that sexy laugh ..."

Regina was curling herself up on the couch when her body started to react to Emma's tone of voice. Emma unmistakably wanted her. "And here I was thinking you might not be so easy ..."

"I always will be, for you."

Regina moaned, prompting Emma to excuse herself with the phone to her car out in the parking lot where she could speak more openly in the privacy of her own vehicle: "Touch yourself," she said quietly, closing her eyes to imagine how Regina might do it. Her wife had certain favorite positions for self-pleasure. "And tell me where you are. What you're doing."

"Ah ah ah," Regina teased excitedly, biting on her lower lip. "If you want me to act like a prude, you're not getting any until you earn it, Dear."

"Ughhh Baby, you're already driving me crazy ..."

Mission accomplished. Emma was hopelessly aroused. Regina found herself quite proud that she could still rile her wife up with a single sentence. "Meet me at home in two hours when you're done your shift. And not a moment sooner. I want to be ready for when you attempt to corrupt me."

When Emma made unintelligible noises on her end, Regina said her goodbyes with a smug grin and hung up. She did so enjoy being difficult.

It was two hours later when she answered the door in a tight-fitting pencil skirt, a blouse done up to her neck and her reading glasses that Regina realized how excited Emma really was. She had teased Emma and the effect was most satisfying.

Emma drank in the sight of her wife in the librarian-type get up.

"Oh good," Regina answered, doing her part not to smirk at the look on her wife's face. Instead, she managed to ignore it for the time being, taking up the space in their doorway with practiced poise. "I assume you're here to speak about your horrible credit what with never returning your books, Miss Swan."

Emma did her part not to growl out her answer, nodding into the house - trying to keep up her end of the role play. "I wanna talk with you."

"In my house?" Regina teased, just nearly smiling then. "I hardly think that's appropriate. You can come to the library for that. I only called you to tell you that the library will not be accepting your card any longer. I didn't expect a follow-up."

Emma bit her cheek so as not to laugh. So Regina was being difficult, was she? And damnit if that wasn't a turn-on. "You expected me to get your message and say nothing for myself?"

"Yes," Regina said, crossing her arms with that pristine outfit calling out to Emma - calling out to be ripped or for that tight skirt to be hoisted up those perfect thighs ... "... and- ... are you even listening to me, Miss Swan?"

Emma blinked up at her.

"Have a nice day, Miss Swan," Regina smirked, shutting the door in her face.

Emma scoffed quietly to herself, wondering how on earth she was going to play her way inside. Regina certainly wasn't making it easy on her. Then again, she knew her wife inside and out, and Emma Swan enjoyed the challenge.

Regina leaned back against the door she'd just closed - heart racing and smile renewed. She had always been excited by the way Emma never lost determination when it came to her. The beautiful sheriff fought her way back at Regina's side no matter the situation or argument, and she found it thrilled her in their roleplay, too. She certainly didn't like to make things easy for her wife, but was she being TOO difficult? She bit her lip as the silence crowded her thoughts.

Suddenly there was another knock at the door. Regina's pulse quickened, racing with desire as she pushed the glasses up on her nose and opened the door again.

_Cool and collected, Regina. _She emptied her mind of the many memories of her strong, experienced wife that threatened to weaken her, and took a deep breath in. The agility of those rough fingers would not be her undoing, damnit! Regina breathed out and pulled open the door a little wider: "Haven't left yet, have we?"__

__Emma's eyes were smiling when she spoke: "I'm sorry for coming here and frightening you."_ _

__Regina scoffed and rolled her eyes, crossing her arms indignantly. "I'm not so easily frightened."_ _

__"Sure sure," Emma smirked: "I just mean ... I wouldn't have come around if I thought I would alarm you so much that you had to shut me out."_ _

__"I closed this door because you were ANNOYING me, Miss Swan. Not frightening me. I can take care of myself."_ _

__"Whatever you say, Madam Librarian," Emma teased, taking a large step forward to bring her face-to-face with her helplessly stubborn wife. "I just wanted to ... apologize. And I'm afraid I can't leave until I hear you've accepted the apology."_ _

__"I- ... thought you wanted your library card privileges back?" Regina said as stiffly as possible when the closeness of her wife was weakening her resolve. She had wondered how this fantasy was supposed to play out._ _

__"I don't even read the books," Emma smirked. "I just enjoy getting you all worked up and angry with me so I can feel the spark of your aggravation. And I came here to see that little fire in your eyes whenever you're telling me what an irresponsible woman I am. You little firecracker."_ _

__Regina swallowed hard. Was that part true? On many occasions she had pestered Emma about the library books she kept past their due date. Was Emma's apparent forgetfulness all to see her riled up?_ _

__"I have them in my trunk," Emma grinned sheepishly, bringing both of her hands up to the door frame - occupying it completely. "Where I keep them until I've had enough of your lecturing ... so I can see that little agitated wriggle of your nose ... that little wagging finger while you tell me that I should be more careful. My own personal little angry, incredibly sexy librarian ..."_ _

__Regina took a step back when Emma imposed her stance a little further in the doorway. "M-Miss Swan ..."_ _

__"But I think I can work you up in other ways at the moment ..."_ _

__And just like that, Emma had stepped inside - pressing Regina up against the wall with her presence close and hot and intimidating._ _

__"... Let me show you, Madam Librarian."_ _

__Regina was overwhelmed with lust - was all of it true? Did Emma really take library books out and keep them past their due date just to have Regina nag her? Did Emma ENJOY being nagged? Who liked that?! And was it true that Regina really became so worked up over it? Her mind was racing with questions._ _

__"Let me show you what it does to me when you get all high and mighty about an issue," Emma invited, leaning her head in just enough to feel Regina's breath on her lips. "I want you to know how it makes me feel ... just say yes."_ _

__Regina closed her eyes, thinking back to the last time she had practically berated Emma for forgetting two books for the third time! She HAD been wearing her glasses because she'd been working ... was there really something appealing about the way she looked in them? She licked her lips and then became utterly distracted when Emma's finger traced down her blouse's row of buttons._ _

__Well. If it was lecturing Emma wanted ..._ _

__"You have some nerve, Miss Swan ..." Regina hummed, even while Emma caught the gentle nod of her head and untucked the crisp white blouse from Regina's tight, grey pencil skirt. "Coming in here, aggravating me like this ..."_ _

__Emma moaned, fingering each button through its hole as her eyes took in the raised brow from her wife and those adorable damn glasses on her face._ _

__"Keep going ..." Emma whispered, slipping the shirt down Regina's arms to see her wife tug it off completely - hands rushing up to her own bra. Staring hotly at Emma._ _

__"I have half a mind to ban you from the library completely, you idiot."_ _

__Emma chuckled and slipped her hands down Regina's sides to her knees - rucking up the tempting skirt without ceremony. "And I have half a mind to fuck you right here ... right now ... What do you say? Can I earn back that stupid card or what?"_ _

__"Emma ..."_ _

__It had been so long since Emma had taken her up against the wall. Any wall. Regina lost her breath when Emma immediately left, grabbed a pillow from the couch, and dropped it at Regina's feet. Then Emma sank down onto her knees, staring up at Regina's expression of desire._ _

__"Go on," Emma chuckled, pulling down her wife's beautiful choice in lingerie bottoms. "Tell me how much trouble I'll be in if I don't return those two novels I took out last week."_ _

__And with that, Emma pressed her lips between her wife's legs - kissing her, licking her, and then blindly helping Regina step out of the black lacy garment to properly spread her legs._ _

__Regina was supposed to TALK while Emma went down on her?! Regina blinked up at the ceiling, pushing her glasses up on her nose. She shut her eyes and tried desperately to think. Emma knew how difficult it was for her to think much of anything when Emma licked her. Or was that the point?_ _

__"I ... I w ... I'll call security ...?" Regina whimpered, her hand gently cradling the back of Emma's head, purring when her wife's tongue dipped inside of her._ _

__Emma laughed at the cute attempt at conviction in Regina's voice and ate Regina out as hungrily as she desired. There was no part of her sex left unexplored._ _

__"OH GOD ... Emma ..." Regina gasped, slipping down the wall at the rocking sensations of the very talented and curious tongue unleashed on her. She never DID have much motor control when Emma had her face between her legs._ _

__Wanting to fulfill other aspects of her fantasy, Emma drew back with her face wet, panting up at her wife. "I'm gonna have you begging me to take out more books before I'm done with you."_ _

__"Jesus, Emma ..."_ _

__"Come 'ere," Emma instructed, lifting herself from her knees to take Regina's arm in her grasp - pulling her over toward the couch just the way Regina liked. When her wife gasped and acted completely helpless to her actions, it made Emma bolder. It always had. And her wife had often craved a rougher touch._ _

__Regina was anything but helpless, but she certainly enjoyed acting that way to Emma's more authoritative holds and prompts._ _

__"I'm gonna fuck those glasses right off your face," Emma promised darkly, watching Regina's eyes go wide with possibility and need. "Turn around and don't move."_ _

__Regina looked down at the couch in front of her once she turned, her heart racing at the very thought of Emma fucking her over the arm of their couch. Just the other day, they had laid together sleeping there - Regina spooning Emma with butterfly kisses against her ear. And now Emma was going to fuck the glasses off her face?! What did that even mean? She couldn't be serious ..._ _

__Emma returned with their harness fitted around her hips and Regina's favorite toy locked in place. She walked over to where her wife shakily stood, and leaned in behind Regina to place a gentle kiss on her shoulder._ _

__"D'you want this?" Emma whispered quietly so as not to completely break their fun scene, closing some space between them for Regina to feel what she'd brought with her. At times during their sex games, they whispered to one another to be sure they were on the right track, and Regina appreciated it greatly in that moment. She smiled and reached behind herself to stroke her wife's neck._ _

__"Yes ... good choice, Dear," she whispered back._ _

__"I really am going to take those glasses off without my hands," Emma whispered again, nipping at her wife's shoulder with a smile. "... Are you ready?"_ _

__Regina tried not to moan as she whispered back: "I'd like to see you try."_ _

__Just like that, they were back in the moment as their characters. The librarian and ... well, a wild and most vividly naughty Emma Swan._ _

__"Bend over," Emma said certainly, chuckling when Regina held onto her as if to prove she was unbendable. Emma kept that in mind too - so Regina wanted to be TAKEN, was that it? She stored the information for another time._ _

__Instead of forcing Regina into the position, Emma reached around and started to stroke her wife until Regina weakly folded forward, bent at the waist._ _

__"There we go ..." Emma moaned, rubbing the head of the silicone cock against Regina until she saw fit to slip it inside - her wife was so worked up that she started to fuck _herself _on the toy.___ _

____Once Emma started to move her hips in earnest, Regina scrambled to steady herself; Emma thrusted faster and faster. It was at an alarmingly consistent pace that Regina felt her entire body compelled forward with each thrust - her glasses moving to the bridge of her nose. Emma slammed against the backs of her thighs with the toy lodging pleasurably inside of her - deep inside - and then pulling out just as quickly. In and out, in and out, in, out, in-out, in-out-in-out ..._ _ _ _

____"Don't stop," Regina whimpered with the satisfying action, her fingers digging into the couch cushions as Emma went at it faster. "Oh-fuck-hard-er!" Regina squealed with delight, growling when her glasses flew off her face with the wild fucking. They clattered somewhere on the floor, already forgotten. "Harder!" Regina gasped, feeling a nice pressure between her legs as it all came together. She was close._ _ _ _

____Emma was using all of her strength and energy to keep the rhythm with her hips, knowing just how close her wife was to orgasm. She hadn't fucked Regina quite so hard in a long while, smirking at her memory of the last wild session - Regina having bet Emma that she couldn't make her cum in less than five minutes. And then Emma realized just how much her wife had opened to the concept of rougher sex as of late. She had certainly enjoyed it earlier on in their relationship ..._ _ _ _

____"NOW!" Regina gasped, her body seizing up with pleasure against Emma's while her wife thrusted and moved against her - arching and growling as she came._ _ _ _

____"I ... still ... got it ..." Emma gloated playfully in raspy breaths, collapsing onto Regina's back for a moment before easing them both over the arm rest in a tangle of limbs._ _ _ _

____Regina was still panting and giggling when the dildo brushed against her sensitive thighs. "Emma ... I ... can't believe ... you did that."_ _ _ _

____"All these years and you're SURPRISED I wanna fuck you hard and fast?"_ _ _ _

____Regina laughed, settling with a loving smile on her face. "No, you idiot. I meant ... the books."_ _ _ _

____"Oh, that," Emma blushed, unbuckling the straps from around her hips to hang the harness off the back of the couch. "Yeah ... well. We all have fantasies."_ _ _ _

____"And in your fantasies I'm lecturing you? Really now, Miss Swan?"_ _ _ _

____Emma laughed: "You're doing it NOW! Christ, woman. If I didn't enjoy you lecturing me at this point, we'd never have made it this far."_ _ _ _

____Regina rolled her eyes and then closed them, cuddling in next to Emma with a smile on her face. "I'm really happy we did that. I feel ... so content right now. It's bliss, knowing I please you, Dear. Let me touch you? ... Lick you, perhaps? I know how much you love my face between your legs ..."_ _ _ _

____"Damn, can't say no to that," Emma smirked, helping Regina to their bedroom where she slipped onto her back and licked her lips at the sight of Regina stripping for her. "Damn ... look at you."_ _ _ _

____"Undress, Dear."_ _ _ _

____The command in Regina's tone made Emma squirm. Perhaps the days of lying submissively under her wife with rope prying her thighs apart weren't so far behind them as she thought. The very insinuation of Regina's voice made hers quiver. "Mmm ... yes, Ma'am."_ _ _ _

____Regina climbed onto the bed - both of them naked - and crouched on hands and knees to smile down at her wife: "Some things ... it's been a while, hasn't it? For certain things."_ _ _ _

____Emma gleamed proudly up at the brunette, hands on Regina's warm hips. "Mmm ... too long."_ _ _ _

____"I will do my best, but I'm afraid some things might take some warming up ..."_ _ _ _

____"Well, not _me _," Emma teased, aroused beyond comfort and yet stilling her body when Regina traced two fingers over her lips, accepting them into her mouth. "Mmm ..."___ _ _ _

______"Are you going to behave, or will I need to restrain you?" Regina smiled with a very comforting love behind her eyes. It was like an inside joke, just between the two of them, implying such a thing. Knowing that she was more than capable of being rougher and firmer if need be._ _ _ _ _ _

______Emma shook her head, every sense in her body on fire, internalizing her wife's dominant mood. She always loved emotionally submitting, whereas Regina enjoyed physical submission. Emma never needed ropes to keep her under Regina._ _ _ _ _ _

______"Lie back and watch me," Regina said darkly, still a lightness flickering in her eyes but her expression clear: behave._ _ _ _ _ _

______So Emma gladly did. She propped her head up comfortably with two pillows underneath it and stared as her wife teased and tormented her until finally pleasuring her senseless. Regina had always been an expert lover. Each lick she treasured, hearing Emma's hiss of ecstasy, and every suck and nibble only propelled her further. It was obvious Emma had missed being pleasured and while Regina felt some guilt for not having noticed sooner, she realized that life was never perfect, but sharing the intimacy with her wife was all they needed._ _ _ _ _ _

______"Yes! R'gina, keep ... doing that!" Emma cried out, hands very carefully combing into her wife's hair and trembling there._ _ _ _ _ _

______Regina grinned into her task and continued thrumming her tongue over Emma's clit until the beautiful sheriff was quaking under the weight of her orgasm._ _ _ _ _ _

______Regina stayed where she wished to be until she was finished teasing Emma after the fact, and then slowly climbed her way back up Emma's body to be pulled in and spooned. Both of them tired but content._ _ _ _ _ _

______They were almost asleep when Emma grabbed the covers, smiling against the shell of her wife's ear: "You know ... I know what one of your fantasies is for this rekindling thing ... even if you don't wanna tell me."_ _ _ _ _ _

______"What?"_ _ _ _ _ _

______"What it used to be when I first got the uniform."_ _ _ _ _ _

______She noticed Regina tense nervously, as if she had just been caught, and it only deepened Emma's smile._ _ _ _ _ _

______"Yeah, I notice the way you watch me out on duty. I've seen you staring, Gorgeous."_ _ _ _ _ _

______"No ..."_ _ _ _ _ _

______"No?" Emma chuckled, biting Regina's ear gently and tracing her hand just under Regina's breast. "You know ... it's been a while since I tossed you around a little ..."_ _ _ _ _ _

______"Mmm ... Emma, don't stop ..."_ _ _ _ _ _

______Emma's hands moved over Regina's hot, naked skin under their covers, just light brushing touches sizzling over her wife's skin as she continued nibbling on her ear. "I'm offering, Baby. You just have to take me up on it ..."_ _ _ _ _ _

______It took about one minute of fighting with herself for Regina to squeak out that she would, indeed, like to try the sheriff roleplay. Forced into pleasure by Sheriff Swan herself._ _ _ _ _ _

______"How rough?" was Emma's first question._ _ _ _ _ _

______"Rough."_ _ _ _ _ _

______Emma held Regina a little closer. "Is this going to be a throwback, Your Majesty ...?"_ _ _ _ _ _

______It was the concept of willingness to be the object of Emma's affections. It was a sort of fantasy Regina had very carefully constructed to combat troubles from her past. It was a fantasy that freed Regina to lash out, feel pain mixed with her pleasure, and be forced into relative submission. But did Regina still want that? Perhaps a softer version, Emma figured. More coaxing than force._ _ _ _ _ _

______"We might have to start a little slow," Regina blushed in Emma's arms, turning around after having caught her second wind to stroke her hands gently over her wife's still-impressive abdomen. "It's ... been a while since you've had me like that ..."_ _ _ _ _ _

______Emma chuckled into dark brown eyes and wrapped her arms around Regina while her wife started kisses down her body. Teasing and pleasing her all at once. "Of course, Love. Anything you want."_ _ _ _ _ _

______"But not too gentle ..." Regina moaned, trailing her tongue down between Emma's legs where it stayed. Playing and pleasing Emma as only she could._ _ _ _ _ _

______Emma gasped and then exhaled with ultimate relief as Regina went down on her, gathering dark brown hair into her hands as was her custom. "Whatever you say ..."_ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The sheriff is coming to town ...


	4. Sheriff's Choice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma ends her shift by making one last arrest ...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy pride month everyone!

It was a Wednesday evening, and both Emma and Regina would have the next morning off. It was the perfect evening for Regina's choice of roleplay, and so the sheriff received a personal call on her cell phone just as her shift approached its end. With the sexy picture of her wife's face staring back at her, Emma took another large sip from her water bottle and answered her cell.

"What's up, Hun?"

Regina's voice was a little deeper than usual: "I think we should spend some time together tonight."

Emma smirked and glanced around at the empty room outside of her office. "You can be a little bolder if you want. I'm alone here at the moment - no one will hear you."

"I want you to arrest me tonight and _make me_ please you."

Emma nearly spit out the next sip of water she took, coughing into her hand. "I ... yeah! ... Yes, let's-"

Another officer walked into the room then, smiling at her, and Emma smiled back as best she could.

"-That ... sounds good."

"Company?" Regina smirked, leaning back in her heated bath with her cell on speaker phone. Water was sloshing along the sides while she ran her hands slowly up to her own breasts. "That's a shame, Dear ... and here I thought you might want to hear what I'm doing."

Emma walked over with another smile for her officer, closing the door as she did from time-to-time during investigations. She walked briskly back to her desk and sat with a pad of paper and a pen. "Tell me what you're doing. Don't leave anything out."

For the next five minutes, Regina related to her wife exactly how she was touching herself and teased Emma to within an inch of her life.

Emma smirked as their call neared its end, speaking very quietly into the phone just after Regina was calming from the throes of her solo orgasm. "It sounds like you're assaulting my wife over there."

Regina chuckled, moaning at the thought of Emma being there to hold her. "Don't worry ... I was very gentle, Dear."

"Is that so? Didn't sound very gentle to me ..."

Regina's laugh aroused Emma to the point of torment, but the sheriff had become accustomed to such things married to the insatiable Regina Mills. Instead of slipping out of work early, Emma smiled again on her end, offering an idea.

"What do you say that when I come home at the end of the hour ... I arrest one last suspect for the night?"

"Well ... I don't think I'm ready for a threesome," Regina teased, surprising Emma with the daring joke.

"Uh oh ... well in that case ..."

"Hey!" Regina laughed again, and Emma grinned at the reaction. She would do anything to hear that laugh.

"Stay in that bath a while and then do all your lady spa things in just a towel so I won't have to manhandle you too much. We'll start slow." Emma muttered as quietly as she could. "Got that?"

"Yes, Dear," Regina answered in mock submission, as she was never one to submit easily. She rather enjoyed being forced into it from the one partner she had ever trusted to truly push her buttons.

"I'll be home at the end of my shift. I love you."

"Love you."

Emma finished out the last hour of work by heading out onto the streets with the rookie officer in training to explain routines for arrest. The very real training she was teaching brought a secret grin to her face as the rookie drove along, Emma trying desperately not to think about arresting her wife later that evening. Regina was always so much fun to arrest - nothing like the drunks she had to wrestle to the ground - drunks she had to injure at times to keep them from hurting themselves or others.

"S-so," the young man started, parking the car where Emma told him to with a curious eye scanning the area. "The nuns called us?"

"Right," Emma sighed, finishing off the water from her cup because of her wife's insistence that she drink more of it. Emma had made constant hydration a part of her routine and hardly even noticed anymore, but the officer at her side smiled just slightly because he knew why Emma was drinking it. Everyone at the station knew Emma's healthier choices were guided by the sheriff's insistent wife. And Emma lovingly held to the habits.

"Should I ... go in?" Miguel Rones asked, nervously blinking at the building beside them in his lanky posture.

Emma wanted to chuckle at the look in the young man's eyes, but kept it in. She just nodded and gestured to the door. "I'll come in with you, but you take the lead on this one."

"And it was a ... suspected robbery?"

"Suspected, right."

"Okay," Miguel sighed, pulling out his keys and getting out from his side of the car to walk around toward the curb. Before he could even realize what was happening, someone ran out from the alley and ran right into him - knocking them both momentarily off-balance.

"Stop!" Miguel called out as his senses returned, watching to see that Emma had already taken off after the mystery man.

"RONES!" Emma shouted at she ran, reminding the young trainee to follow her along for the chase. He startled momentarily, and then took off after her.

"POLICE! STOP!" Emma called out twice as she ran, surprising Miguel with her tone even as she ran. He was quicker than Emma, but her stamina from daily running exercises around her neighbourhood allowed her to catch up with the supposed criminal. By the time Rones caught up, Emma had already tackled the suspect and pinned him to the ground.

Miguel was breathless at how quickly it had all happened - not having seen such an instantaneous chase in his few weeks on the field. He looked down to the rough knee Emma had pushing into the man's back while she cuffed him and read him his rights.

"What am I being arrested for?" he growled angrily, trying to throw his elbow back into Emma only to feel his face pushed into the pavement.

"How about evading arrest to start with?" Emma panted, going to pull the man up when he threw his hips and and rolled them both - surprising Emma as she brushed her own cheek against the pavement. She grabbed the suspect by his right bicep and dragged him up to his feet, practically throwing him up against someone else's car while pinning his right hand painfully between his shoulder blades.

"AHH! CHRIST!"

"Shut up and stay put," she panted harder, taking out her cell phone to hand over to Miguel. "Call for backup. There's no way I'm taking this runner all the way back to the car."

"Scared?" the man chuckled darkly, tasting blood from a small cut over his lip.

"Yeah, I'm scared that if you pull something stupid like that again, I'll REALLY hurt you," Emma said, easing up on the man's hand only a little when she knew she had the suspect under control.

After Ruby came with the other squad car to help Emma with the suspected thief, she took Miguel into her car.

"I told Regina I'd be home by now," Emma said quietly after the two men were already inside the car, trying not to smirk to give away her reasons.

Ruby saw through her regardless, winking at her. "Gotcha, Boss. But you might wanna cover up those scratches on your cheek or she'll be worried."

Emma instinctively touched the scratched spot, and hissed. "Right. Thanks, Rubes."

"Anytime," Ruby chuckled, always having rather enjoyed the evening shift. "Have yourself a good night."

Emma made her way down the next block to her car, thinking about Regina. She stopped in at Granny's to wash up her face, but refused to be fussed over. The only person she ever allowed to dote on her was Regina, and even that was hard. It made her feel like a big, useless baby.

She was alone on her drive home - and still donning her full police uniform complete with her belt, firearm, notepads galore, hat, and bulletproof vest. It was a bulky sort of uniform that had helped save her life more times than one, and it was also quite an intimidating look given the way she carried herself in it. Since the officer uniform first commenced its appearance in Storybrooke, Emma had a lot of frightened stares as she went about her duty. As it was, only one person still stared at her in awe of the uniform: her wife. And Emma never tired of THAT particular look.

Regina was just smoothing lotion over her feet - wondering what was taking Emma so long - when she heard a loud knock at the door. Smirking, Regina finished rubbing her lotion in before waltzing over to the front. She knew Emma wouldn't make a loud disruption when their neighbors on either side could overhear.

"Yes?" Regina asked through the door, not trusting herself to look through the peephole and keep as smug as she intended to be. "Who's there?"

"Sheriff Swan," Emma said seriously, honestly. Even after all those years, she had remained Sheriff. Since the more realistic changes made to the town, Emma had even completed two difficult officer training courses, and had acquired a sense of management that always flustered Regina. A very confident and firm Sheriff Swan never ceased to rattle the town's ex-mayor. "Now open up, Ma'am," Emma said seriously again to keep from getting too loud. When she thought she heard one of their neighbors at their back door, Emma leaned in a little closer to the door. "I had a call from this address. Open up, Ma'am."

Regina opened the door only a sliver with the old fashioned chain still in place, pinning back her wicked grin as best she could while showing that she was - indeed - only clothed in a simple white cotton towel. And yet when Regina finally looked to her wife, Regina couldn't help but a fleeting flash of concern take over her expression. Emma had a menacing scratch over her right cheek, and it served to remind Regina of the dangerous reality of her wife's job. Some days it was a scratch, other days it was a sprain or tender muscles, and once it was a broken leg - having been run into by a getaway car Emma had stupidly jumped in front of. Swallowing hard, however, Regina reminded herself not to break through their fun moment with worry. It was clear someone had already cared for the scrape, and Emma had put the incident behind her. She could see it in the way Emma smiled lop-sidedly at Regina's concern. Steeling herself, Regina pushed her shoulders back and let her eyes scan over Emma's enticing uniform: "What is this regarding, Sheriff? I'm quite indecent at the moment."

Damn that impossible woman, even in uncertainty she was difficult. Emma bit her cheek to keep from smirking and leaned back in her stance. She eyed her gorgeous, daring wife with a specific kind of assertive hunger. "Listen, Ma'am. Unless you want me calling for back-up with YOU in THAT, I suggest you let me come in and take a look around."

"I know my rights," Regina quipped, just nearly laughing at the beautiful flustered expression on her wife's face. Emma looked about ready to kick their own door down and storm the place, but the practiced calm on Emma's face proved her skill with her job. Suddenly Regina couldn't help but imagine Emma had come across much more difficult situations in her line of work, and the more Emma calmed, the more aroused Regina became.

"Listen, I got a call and now I'm here," Emma said evenly, looking Regina straight in the eye. Daring her to make things more difficult. Daring Regina to find out what she would do to her once she got her hands on her. "Now do you wanna do this the hard way ... or the easy way?"

"The hard way?" Regina teased, loosening her towel just a little to watch Emma stare. She smirked, shut the door, undid the little chain and opened the door again just a sliver. "Show me your badge. I don't think I should trust you."

Emma smirked as she reached for her very real - and well-used - badge to flip open for Regina: "Then why'd you open the door, Ma'am? Doesn't sound very cautious to me. Something doesn't add up."

Regina traced her finger over the badge and smiled. A badge bunny. She had never liked the term, but it had its moments. "Oh, I can assure you everyone is very cautious here."

"I need to take a look inside," Emma said, stepping past Regina into the house to look around as if taking in her surroundings for the first time. "Is there anyone else here with you?"

Regina closed the door behind Emma, locking it inconspicuously so as not to disrupt the role play as she watched Emma slyly set down her safetied firearm on the entrance way table just in case. The knowledge that Emma carried such a weapon daily made Regina smirk. Many times she had caught sight of her wife on duty, and Emma's walk alone made Regina's knees go weak. Even the way Emma stood with her hands tucked into her vest made Regina blush at the reminder that Emma could handle just about any difficult situation. She knew Emma could incapacitate just about anyone, and knowing her wife's strength made Regina stutter. "Umm ... no. It's just me." She felt a chill sweep over her in memory of other, rougher nights long ago. Regina bit her lower lip at the painfully arousing memories.

"Well, I had a call," Emma clarified, as if her story were true: "That a thief snuck in, and the owner of this house knocked her down and bruised the criminal's thigh in a fight." Bless Emma's wonderful improvisational skills. "And now you're telling me it's just you in there. So where's the lady who called? ... If that's not you, then are you the criminal, Ma'am? Because that's how it's looking to me."

"I most certainly am not," Regina scoffed, suddenly pinning her towel a little tighter to her chest at the way Emma was so obviously analyzing every inch of bare flesh. Not quite so professional after all ... Regina swallowed hard.

"Just thought to shower away any evidence of a struggle ...? Sounds awfully convenient ..." Whenever Emma was on a roll, the intimidation factor grew, as much as Regina ever tried to deny it. Those strong shoulders set square ... Those muscular legs parted, sturdy. "Hard to know what to believe."

"And I think you've seen one too many movies," Regina chuckled, a true note to her wife's film tendencies that had them both smiling at each other before Emma bit back a commanding response.

"Show me."

Suddenly Regina understood what Emma was doing. That sly idiot. "Show you what ...?" Regina scoffed, looking down at her body innocently as if she had no idea what Emma was speaking about. "All I have on is this little towel ... You certainly can't expect me to-"

"Take it off."

Regina's smile straightened just a little, lust boiling to the surface where playfulness had been. The mood shifted as did Regina, slowly back toward the couch. Two steps back led Emma further into the house, after her, and the sense of serious command lifted to Emma's eyes.

Regina couldn't help but smirk as she was backed over toward the couch: "I'm beginning to feel a little intimated, Sheriff ..." She let her eyes drift over Emma's uniform for good measure, trying to appear as such.

"Care to explain why you look so aroused then?"

Regina's breath caught in her throat when Emma's fingers grazed her chest only momentarily, a trace of uncertainty, and so Emma read the situation. Instead of wanting to fight, Regina seemed to want to be taken by command more than anything else. Grabbing the towel and giving a firm tug, Emma smirked. The towel dropped and it left Regina standing there completely naked and damp. Chilled, in fact. Regina audibly swallowed hard for the second time.

With just a cocky grin, Emma took a small step closer and leaned back to check out Regina from her feet to the perfect patch of trimmed curls between her legs. Her beautiful wife was almost completely bare between her legs, and the extra work excited Emma with breathless desire. She was wild with desire, and her hands clenched into fists to keep control of her body.

That had Regina biting her lip. Her extra attention to detail had worked. She had wondered what Emma might do if she'd shaved herself bare, but she knew Emma enjoyed a little trace of womanhood with her meal. And Emma did like a good meal ... The very thought of which sent Regina's heart racing. Emma's tongue had always made her weak.

"Show me," Emma rasped, wanting nothing more than to drop to her knees and stick her tongue between her wife's legs. But Regina's fantasy had other things in mind, so Emma took a hold of herself and grabbed Regina by the arm, pinning her firmly to the wall. "Either you show me ... or I'll have to take a look myself."

Regina couldn't hide her arousal at the manhandling. Earlier on in their relationship, Regina had enjoyed quite a bit of rough play with eager arousal. It had started off in a shy sense of mortification, but when Emma had shown her there was nothing to be embarrassed about, Regina had allowed the rough touches to get her off. And get her off they most certainly did ...

The need was clear in Regina's dark brown eyes. She didn't bother to hide it when Emma guided her over to the hallway wall, setting Regina's heart alight with possibility as they stood near the bedroom with Regina's back pinned so easily to the wall.

"Spread your legs," Emma said hotly, eyes flitted down to Regina's naked chest.

"You're enjoying this, Sheriff," Regina teased, gasping when Emma's left hand immediately grabbed her at her neck, a hand carefully gripping just under her jaw. She tried to fight the feelings of instant lust as Emma held her in place to stare into her fiery eyes.

"I'm gonna do what I want with you, and you're gonna let me."

At the confidence and power behind Emma's voice, Regina felt the growing ache thump angrily between her legs, desperate to be satisfied at those strong hands. Regina couldn't think of what to say, suddenly thinking back on the two times Emma had fully slapped her in the face because she'd begged for it. That rush of adrenaline ... Regina's thoughts bounced to yet another time Emma had talked Regina into her lap out back while in uniform with a surprising addition strapped to her hips. Emma always was so much more daring when Regina gawked at her in her uniform ...

Emma could see the thoughts slip behind Regina's eyes, and she grinned. Whenever Regina was losing herself to fantasy, Emma was doing her job. Regina wanted more.

Yet Regina's very competitive nature wouldn't let her lose so easily: "Let me go this instant-"

"Or what? You'll squirm for me?" Emma teased, chuckling when Regina's hands went to her shoulders to push her away. She easily pinned them over Regina's head, adoring the way her wife always tried to pull free when it was so obviously a lost cause. Regina loved Emma's strength, and Emma used it whenever her wife wanted the powerful reminder.

"M-My wife is gonna be home any minute," Regina whispered - a new claim that had Emma arching her brow.

"Mmm ... and is she just as petite as you?"

Regina smirked but fought to erase the trace of humor as she struggled against Emma's hands. "No ... she's taller ... stronger ..."

"So she could pin you, too, huh? You seem awfully shy about that. Don't tell me you like that ...?"

Regina smirked at Emma's shit-eating grin, warming to the affectionate way Emma was gripping her, adjusting every few moments so as not to hurt her. She knew Emma never struggled with her like an officer really would. In that moment, Regina imagined Emma had a very physical day, judging by the scrape on her wife's cheek. She went a little weak just imagining what it might look like to see Emma best a man twice her size.

"She's ... very strong ..." Regina whispered, staring into Emma's eyes.

"Well maybe once she gets home we can question you together," Emma chuckled, pulling Regina from the wall to keep Regina's smaller back to her front. She held her wife with a hand keeping Regina's wrists together and another hand closing around Regina's neck again to keep her where she wanted her. Breathing into her ear. "I think she might like watching you squirm a little ..."

"Em-ma ..."

"Oh, is THAT her name?"

"Emma, the bed," Regina whispered, her knees getting weak. She could only stand for so much play before her desperation won out, and it had been entirely too long.

"Yes Ma'am," Emma whispered back, walking them both to the bed with Regina's adorably clumsy feet - lifting Regina into her arms once they reached the queen-sized bed they shared. "Mmm ... now about that bruise ..."

"Touch me ..." Regina whimpered at being lifted and dropped so easily, despite her greater efforts to remain in character. All she could imagine were Emma's fingers. All she wanted was to feel them deep inside of her, wriggling. Exploring. Forcing her open and mixing pain with pleasure.

The desperation was almost as endearing as it was exciting, but Emma tried to keep her head in the game. Regina wanted to be held down and fucked.

"Then confess," Emma moaned, crawling between her wife's inviting and clearly bruise-less legs. "Confess and I'll touch you however you want ..."

"I did it," Regina lied obediently, pulling at Emma's police-issued vest as she wrapped her legs around Emma's waist - the rough material of Emma's pants only exciting her further. "Fuck me ... please ..."

Regina didn't have to ask twice. Emma was easily sinking between her legs and spreading them apart to feast on her with lips, tongue, and teeth.

"F-fingers!" Regina gasped as her libido grew with Emma's oral expertise. With fingers involved, Regina's eyes rolled back as she arched into the bed - hands combing into Emma's swept-back hair. "Oh, fuck ... I know I shouldn't let this happen so easily ... Shit, Em-ma ..."

Emma grinned as she licked and sucked, admiring what a mess she could make of her wife with some playful acting. When Regina was unraveled, she swore. The implications enticed Emma, sinking two fingers inside of her wife without warning.

"FUCK me," Regina breathed, clawing at their bed sheets. "Fuck ... me ... harder Em-ma ... yes ..."

It only took Emma a handful of minutes to have Regina screaming at the mercy of her hands and tongue, able to lose herself to fantasy.

Almost immediately after the enjoyable few minutes watching Regina come down from her orgasm, Emma climbed back off the bed. Cheekily, she grabbed one of Regina's ankles, pulling and enjoying the sexy little scream she earned in return.

"Come 'ere," Emma said gruffly, grabbing both of her wife's ankles when Regina started to squirm. The little devil. She almost laughed when Regina kicked at her. "Oh, NOW you've got some fight. Funny how you spread your legs for me just a second ago ..."

Losing her footing, Regina whimpered when Emma pulled her to the edge of the bed and fisted a hand carefully in her hair, looking into her eyes. If Regina was uncomfortable, she just had to feel it and Emma would know. Emma always knew.

Regina trembled, eyes scanning over the uniform again as Emma gestured with her other hand. "Down."

Guiding the very willing brunette down to the ground, Emma unzipped her pants and then threw a pillow down to her wife so her knees wouldn't ache. With a hand still in Regina's hair, she pulled down her remaining clothing and watched Regina hungrily go to task, eating her out. The beautiful mess of Regina's tongue had Emma trembling on her feet.

As soon as Regina could sense Emma was close, she mischievously pulled away, yearning for Emma to do something to her. Punish her in some way.

Emma Swan did not disappoint.

"Just for that, I'm gonna find something to fuck you with once you're done," Emma teased carefully, watching as Regina's eyes lit up. "Maybe you've got some toys around here."

"No," Regina whimpered, obviously excited.

_Ah, so that's what she wants?_ "Now finish me quickly or I'll make it hurt."

Regina purred as she set to work again between Emma's legs, always getting off on threats that both of them knew were only done for effect. But the way Emma spoke to her in such moments often worked her up more than anything else.

Elated to have Regina's hands on her legs and mouth between them, Emma didn't last long before whispering a warning of her climax. Regina was still stroking one hand over Emma's thigh with the other smoothing up Emma's uniform top and vest as the sheriff came, grinning to herself when she felt Emma trembling.

"Fuck _me_ ," Emma chuckled, carefully lowering Regina for a moment to rest. " _God_ , your tongue, baby ..."

Regina smirked as Emma sat exhausted, knowing she had done that - brought a sheriff to her knees.

"Proud of yourself, aren't you?"

Regina chuckled: "I plead the fifth."

"I should petition the town to make your mouth illegal, Jesus Christ."

"Something tells me that wouldn't hold up in a court of law."

Emma laughed, finally finding the strength in her legs to stand and pull her pants back on, offering a hand down to her wife. "C'mon, hun. You're gonna hurt your knees down there."

"You weren't worried about me a minute ago ..." Regina teased, giggling when Emma pushed her onto the bed and crawled after her.

"You little vixen," Emma laughed, growling into place over Regina, re-positioning them on the bed before stripping off her vest and pants. She kept on her button-up shirt but left it open, grinning down at Regina's expression at the sight. She kept on the comfortable boxer briefs she'd worn, leaning back over Regina so she could reach into the side table drawer. "And something tells me you're not done yet ...?"

"No," Regina whispered, catching sight of the toy and trying to appear uncertain. But her eyes were lit up again, and Emma couldn't help but smile at that.

"No?"

"Mmm," Regina blushed, trying to hide her face.

"I know how much you like something thick inside you, Baby. It's not a secret. I like it, trust me. I love being the one to _give it_ to you."

Regina whimpered, her knees tightening around her wife's hips.

"If you wanna keep playing we can, or I can please you slowly," Emma explained, getting up onto her knees to fix the harness around her hips. She was usually the one to wear it as Regina preferred to be completely filled, and Emma tended to prefer Regina's slender fingers moving inside of her. Yet the memory of Regina on top of her with a toy under the beautiful brunette's control always somewhat excited her, too. "I don't wanna hurt you, and this fantasy of yours can get quite rough, hmm?"  _Little Miss Slap-My-Face ..._

"I ... don't know if I'm ready, to be honest," Regina smiled softly, her nervousness melting away instantly when Emma melted over her and smiled right back.

"That's what I want from you, Hun - honest always. I just wanna please you, and this fantasy is for you. Just tell me what you want right now?"

Regina chewed her lip and then felt Emma's lips crashing over hers, driven by the swollen nature of already-voluptuous lips.

Pulling away with a giggle at Emma's neediness for her, Regina pushed at Emma's shoulders and giggled louder when Emma's lips tickled down her collarbone instead. "Em-ma! ... I ... Maybe if you ... just hold me down a little? And let me ... struggle ... just a little?"

Emma hummed her appreciation, and softly ran her hands up Regina's arms to her wrists where she held strong, pressing them into the mattress. "Like this?"

Had it been delivered in a different tone or possibly not while her wife was only an inch from her lips, Regina might have been able to contain herself, but as it was, Regina purred deliciously for the sheriff's consumption. "Mmm ... you can be so powerful, Dear ..."

At first, Emma teased Regina with the toy before keeping both wrists in one hand and using the other hand to push into her wife. The look on Regina's face as she did so always worked Emma up - the elation, the moment of uncertainty that was always followed with a resoundingly emphatic moan of pleasure.

"Slow at first, okay?" Emma whispered, moving both of her hands to Regina's wrists again, moving her body languidly in a steady, rocking motion.

"Yes, Sheriff ..." Regina smirked, eyes closed.

"Don't tease me," Emma chuckled, nipping at Regina's neck and inhaling just under her woman's ear: one of her favorite spots.

"Make me."

Slowly, Emma moved her hips quicker. It took ten minutes for her to slowly work up to a rhythm that seemed to silence Regina from her sassy, teasing remarks, and yet completely worth the wait. Rendering Regina silent - gasping, no less - was a treat Emma indulged in with great pleasure.

Just as Emma had shifted with legs parted on her knees with her hands still keeping Regina pinned, she had the balance and position to really _move_. And move she did. She worked Regina up so well that the brunette came without warning, held under her wife. The feeling of helplessness had always been a particular favorite for Regina in the moment of ecstasy, and she so delighted knowing that Emma knew. The reminder sent her into an even more blissful orgasm when she came and felt Emma's grip tighten on her wrists, hips thrusting harder. Huffed breaths pouring over her naked chest.

They both laid side-by-side together afterward, panting and smiling and glancing lovingly at one another.

They were both glad that their sex life lull had been just that. A simple lull. With the proper motivation, they had been drawn together again. They both shared a quiet moment, hoping the same thing for the foreseeable future - no crazy town emergencies that might make them forget the importance of intimate time together.

"Well," Regina sighed contentedly first, turning onto her side to feel Emma's strong arms wrap around her. "Remind me why we don't do THAT more often ..."

"Because we're busy and we get tired a little more often than we'd like?" Emma asked, kissing Regina's shoulder. "But we can definitely put in a bigger effort. I know I will. I mean, I didn't really notice things dying down so much until just a little while back. We're just comfortable with each other. There's nothing wrong with that."

Regina closed her eyes and smiled when she felt Emma's warm lips on the shell of her ear.

"The babies are coming over soon," Emma whispered, "So I suggest we enjoy this as much as possible before then. I need to have you a hell of a lot more before I'll feel content to just lay beside you in bed all weekend ..."

"What do you propose? A week straight of this? Because I must admit that my stamina isn't quite what it used to be either, Officer."

Emma grinned and took Regina's ear between her teeth, chuckling at the shocked gasp she heard from her beautiful partner. "That's Sheriff to you, Ma'am."

"Mmm ... so hungry today," Regina moaned, teasing as only she could. "What am I ever going to do with you, Dear Sheriff?"

"I wanna spoon you now, skin-to-skin. I've missed it. Do you want that?"

"You mean you want to torture me," Regina teased, humming when Emma tenderly flipped her onto her side and snuggled in behind her, hands still wandering softly over warmed skin.

"No, I just wanna take advantage of this while we're able to."

"You want to take advantage of me  _after_ all that? You're going to kill me at this rate, Dear."

"Not like that," Emma laughed, stripping herself completely and allowing herself to relax when she felt Regina's body settle in her arms. They were both too exhausted for much of anything else, lying side-by-side in bed again with silly grins of satisfaction. Tucked in against each other.

"Goodnight my beautiful queen," Emma whispered into thick, dark hair as she closed her eyes to nap off her exhaustion. "I hope you're satisfied."

"Mmm," Regina moaned happily, tucking herself back further in her wife's hold with one last mischievous comment over her shoulder: "What else are sheriffs for?"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One chapter left!  
> They might get back at a certain meddler ... ;)


	5. Comeuppance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Final Chapter: Emma gets the last laugh after Henry's been meddling in his mothers' business.

"Annie! Ollie!" Regina sang as she threw open the front door and flung herself down the front steps. Emma smiled, following closely behind her wife.

"GG! Grammie!" Annabelle giggled, still in her car seat but unbuckling it all by herself as Henry slid the back door open to reveal his enthusiastic mothers.

"What happened to my hello?" Henry joked, wrapping an arm around Emma who was patiently waiting for her turn to hug Annabelle. Oliver, against all odds, was still asleep in the back of the van.

"There's my little angel!" Regina beamed, lifting Annabelle out of her pink and blue carseat and into waiting arms. Even in a professional button-up shirt and jeans, Regina was never afraid to play with her grandchildren.

Emma admired the sight in more relaxed attire - tights and an oversized navy tunic. She couldn't help but chuckle at the adorable look on Regina's face whenever she held either of their grandchildren. Emma knew she herself was ridiculous with the little monsters, but it couldn't be helped. Their grandchildren meant the world to them both.

"And how is the world's cutest three-year-old?" Emma smiled, touching the little girl's arm just after Annie and Regina pulled back from a long-needed hug.

"Grammie! I missed you."

Emma took the growing girl into her arms and bounced her playfully, cackling mischievously when Henry turned to her while she ran off with Annie. "They'll never catch us! We can live off of ice cream and no-no's!"

Regina snorted at the girl's name for Oreo's, and walked over to Chloe who was just then lifting baby Oliver out from the back seat. Regina let Henry shake his head after his blonde mother while she clasped her hands at the adorable sight of Oliver, just shy of a year old with the chubbiest cheeks she'd ever seen.

"He's had a long night," Chloe said over her baby's head, holding him to her chest where he continued to sleep. "But I think he should stay down for another hour or so if you can put him down in the pack'n'play."

Regina smiled and gave her daughter-in-law a long hug before gesturing to hold the baby herself. Once baby Oliver was in her arms again, Regina smiled instinctively and held the sleeping baby against her chest with elation. "Henry always was a very fussy sleeper. I'm sure I can get him to sleep for a while at least."

Chloe smiled as she watched Henry's adoptive mother handle her own son with such loving care. "He missed you. They both did."

"It's been too long," Regina whispered, closing her eyes and inhaling over baby Oliver's sleeping head and giving it a soft kiss. "Aww ... my god, he's so adorable. Sometimes I wish I had another."

"Not at three in the morning you don't," Chloe teased, walking with Regina up to the house where they found Annie and Emma already eating chocolate while Henry tried to talk the dessert out of his mother's hands.

"Oh relax," Chloe laughed at her husband when she came across the sight: "They're only doing it to get a rise out of you, you old man."

"We do dessert first and dinner last at our house," Emma teased to the giggling agreement of Annie until Regina came into the room with a finger up to her lips, reminding everyone Oliver was still asleep.

"Don't worry," Regina smiled, wrapping her free arm tightly around her son. "We will feed her fruits and vegetables too, Sweetheart. I promise. Your mother's only teasing."

"... Or am I?" Emma laughed foregoing the chocolate when she earned a glare from Regina to hoist little Annabelle up onto her shoulders to the tisking eye roll of her son. "What? She likes being tall."

"Yeah, I like being tall, Daddy. One day I can be tall like Grammie."

"Your daddy's right though," Emma sighed. "We can only be tall if we eat lots of vegetables, though. What're we gonna do?"

With Annie's declaration that they all make a big salad, the five of them sat down and ate together after Regina put little Oliver down for the rest of his nap. After parting ways, Henry and Chloe said their goodbyes and were off to enjoy a much-needed romantic weekend together.

 

***

 

Much more relaxed and invigorated at the end of their weekend alone, Chloe and Henry were laughing and smiling at each other on their way back into Storybrooke. They had enjoyed some very isolated time where there was no need to keep their volume down, where they could sleep freely, and re-connect. However, as much as they loved their time alone, they were both missing their kids as they drove back to Henry's mothers' house.

"You think Annie's sick of sugar yet?" Henry chuckled, thrumming his fingers on the door panel as Chloe turned down yet another side road to lead them to the magical town of Storybrooke.

"You need to take it easier on them. They're grandparents, Henry. They're going to spoil the kids. It's what they do."

"I know. I just ... it's hard to imagine Mom purposefully giving kids sugar, like ever. She used to be so strict with me I couldn't even get Rice Crispies!"

Chloe chuckled at the memory. It was one he had shared before, and one she'd teased him about before, too. "Yes, I'm aware. You poor, poor baby. You wanna get Wice Cwispies on the way there?"

Henry rolled his eyes with a smirk and pushed gently at her shoulder. "Jerk."

"You were asking for it," she laughed, heading with focus back to see their children. "I really did miss them, though. As tired as I've been. But I think ... we should bring them to see their grandmas more often. They see mine more, Henry, and it's not their fault we live as far away as we do."

Henry sighed, knowing it was true, but also feeling very protective over his babies. "I know, but ... you didn't LIVE there like I did. Crazy shit happens there, and if we're bringing the kids there more often, we're gonna stay."

"With your parents?" Chloe grinned. "You think you'll want to after you practically forced them to re-ignite the passion between them? Do you really think that's wise ...?"

Henry scoffed loudly in offense and Chloe laughed again.

"You make it easy, you know? To tease you."

"I was just trying to help."

Henry was crossing his arms, Chloe could just tell. Jokingly or not, she still snorted. "I'm sure you did ..."

They both laughed then, Chloe nearly swirving the car in their playful session of whack-a-spouse. Focusing more responsibly on the road, Chloe drove across the town line into Storybrooke, and Henry looked with a smile over to his wife. She was the smartest, most beautiful woman he had ever known, and she certainly knew how to keep things interesting.

 

***

 

After having arrived, the six of them shared a late dinner together before Annie and Oliver both crashed, forcing Henry and Chloe to carry them out, respectively. Annie awoke during the transfer which made it easier to seat her and get her busy with one of her coloring books. Because of Henry's easy task, he went back up for one last goodbye to his mothers, extending out an arm for them each.

Chloe was still buckling Oliver in and setting their things in the back while she watched out of the corner of her eye that her husband looked to be imparting some more unnecessary advice to two women still very obviously in love with each other.

On the front porch, Henry kissed Regina's cheek and gave Emma a soft pat on the back with each of their hugs, teasing them as only he did: "In a way, I'm sure the goodbye is also nice - you can have some alone time again. Some time to re-connect."

Grinning, Emma took that moment to pull Regina up on her shoulder, waving goodbye to Chloe with her free hand while Regina laughed and tried to wriggle herself down to no avail.

"Emma! Let me down this instant!" Regina laughed openly, doing her part not to scream or laugh too loudly and wake up the baby.

From the back of the van, Chloe bit back a grin at the shocked look on Henry's face, simply waving back. She couldn't help but laugh to herself when Annie asked why Grammie was carrying GG.

Chloe smiled at her little girl's oblivious question, answering honestly: "They're just being silly, Honey Bear."

Emma jiggled her shoulder and Regina let out a laughing gasp at emma's wandering hands. He had been teasing his mothers about not 'having it anymore' for months, and Emma thought he had earned a little mortification.

"Bye, Kid," Emma whispered, winking animatedly at her son and walking inside with Regina indignantly propped over her shoulder. "I'm taking your mother to bed to have sex. Lots and lots of sex, Kid. I might even tie 'er up."

"EMMA!" Regina playfully screamed, gasping at wandering hands before Emma kicked the door closed behind them.

Henry was still standing there in shock when Chloe chuckled and called him over so they could start on their trip back.

Chloe was still smirking when Henry got in on the passenger side, and once she started up the car, backing down the driveway.

"They're just teasing you, you know," Chloe said, laying a hand gently over Henry's. "It's okay to be repulsed. I think that was the whole idea. I don't think your mothers want you insinuating anything like that again."

"Just an act," Henry told himself, letting himself believe nothing would come of the sight he just saw. Absolutely nothing.

"Right," Chloe lied gently, biting back easy laughter as they pulled onto the street when she thought back to the sight Emma and Regina had made together - the passion definitely NOT a jest. "Just an act ..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have some other stories in the works right now. If you had to choose between a pregnant Regina fic, or a fic where Regina is a stripper with a two-year-old Henry to look after (both SQ slow burn), which would you rather read?

**Author's Note:**

> What oh what will happen next ...?


End file.
